Until recently, a definitive role for B cells in the pathogenesis of the autoimmune neurological disorder multiple sclerosis (MS), had not been widely accepted, and remains poorly understood. B cells have multiple functions ...

Stimulation of mature B lymphocytes by extracellular ligands induces phenotypic changes through complex signal transduction pathways. Gene expression is altered as a result of these changes and re-programs the cell to ...

BACKGROUND: Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), developed by Alfred Bandura, is a theory often employed for health promotion. This theory focuses on a set of determinants, examining how each operates, and translating information ...

Bcl-2 family members are pivotal regulators of programmed cell death (PCD). In mammals, pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members initiate early apoptotic signals by causing the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria, a ...

Smoking is the leading preventable cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. The vast majority of adult smokers initiate smoking before the age of 18, and the cumulative risk for initiation does not decline ...

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by a loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. The cause of Parkinson’s disease remains uncertain, however, evidence implicates ...

The urogenital system is composed of the kidneys, gonads, urinary and reproductive tracts. Components of the urogenital system play many important roles in the body; kidneys function by regulating the body's fluid volume, ...

A rising trend in lung cancer chemotherapy involves the development of agents that exploit molecular targets overexpressed in tumors, with hopes of increasing specificity, and in turn, efficacy. ᭌapachone (᭬ap) is a novel ...

Obesity is epidemic in the United States and other developed countries. Obesity is a major risk factor for type II diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and osteoarthritis.
I report a unique girl with early-onset obesity ...

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and Congenital Chloride Diarrhea (CLD) are two genetic diseases which without treatment can be fatal. Cystic Fibrosis is a disease which disrupts normal fluid secretion in multiple organs and tissues, ...

The bile acid receptor, also known as farnesoid X receptor (FXR), is essential for feedback regulation of bile acid synthesis. Bile acids are required for the proper absorption of dietary lipids, including fat-soluble ...

Apoptosis is an active cell death program executed by proteases named caspases. One of the major caspase-activating pathways is initiated by mitochondria. Upon various apoptotic stimuli, the mitochondria releases cytochrome ...

Proteins provide the essential building blocks of signal transduction pathways governing many biological processes. They are dynamic entities endowed with properties that allow them to respond to changes in the cell while ...

NMN adenylyltransferase 2 (Nmnat2) is one of three vertebrate enzymes that catalyze the synthesis of NAD from NMN and ATP. Nmnat1, -2 and -3 are each expressed from a separate gene and are distinguished from one another ...

The Rho GTPases are important regulators of actin cytoskeletal dynamics during processes such as cell migration, cell polarization and cell division. Different Rho family members exert their effects on actin through specific ...

The various stages of muscle development are characterized by distinct patterns of gene expression precisely controlled by combinatorial interaction between a large number of muscle-specific and ubiquitous transcription ...

CC2D1A is an evolutionarily conserved gene from worm to human. It belongs to a new protein family with four DM14 domains at the NH2 terminus and a C2 domain at the COOH terminus. The function of this protein family remains ...

DeltaFosB, the truncated splice variant of FosB, is an important mediator of the long-term plasticity induced in brain by chronic exposure to many types of stimuli, such as repeated administration of drugs of abuse, stress, ...